The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
by Nikki Flinn
Summary: Song fic. Draco goes to sea. Ginny waits. Three endings. Pick your own.
1. READ ME FIRST

READ ME FIRST

Ok, guys. This is an experiment. You're probably wondering why I uploaded all four chapters of this fic.

This is a chose your own ending fic. If you look at the drop down tab for the chapter options, you will see three more chapters: Cliff, Sad and Happy. Each of these chapters is a separate ending. Simply pick the type of ending and read to it.

I should warn you, that the fic will make no sense if you simply read just the ending you desire (unless you chose cliff)

Each chapter is interlinked. If you want to read the Sad ending, you have to read the Cliff ending _then_ read the Sad ending. If you read straight through, you will get all three endings. If you do, let me know which one you prefer.

I should also warn you that this is my early finals present for you all. I will be gone for the next week studying for finals. I'm not sure what my update schedule will be after that, but I promise to try!

Other than that, Enjoy this fic!


	2. Cliff

_The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down  
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee_

Ginny wrapped her arms around Draco's neck and buried her face in his thick jacket.

"I don't want you to go." She mumured.

He squeezed her close. "I'll be back by Friday. Ginny, I'll be fine. I've done this dozens of times."

"I know. But I just can't help having a bad feeling about this."

_The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead  
When the skies of November turn gloomy._

"I'll be fine."

"I wish you didn't have to do this." She sighed.

"I know. But it's just this one shipment more, then we'll get married and I'll quit."

She giggled. "My parents would flip if they knew I was planning to elope."

He grinned down at her. "We'll let them pay when we renew our vows."

Then he kissed her. She reluctantly let him go to board the ship.

_With a load of iron ore - 26,000 tons more  
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty_

Daniel Cross, Captain of the Edmund Fitzgerald greeted Draco as he came aboard. Daniel was fair skined and haired like Draco and Ginny often joked that the two looked enough alike that they could have been twins.

"When are you going to make that poor girl a proper wife?" Daniel demanded by way of greeting.

"Nice to see you too. I will."

"Oh yeah? When?"

"I want to be able to support her myself. I have a job with the Ministry. It's enough but if I want to actually be able to buy a house in the next ten years I need something extra."

"You're such a romantic. Have you bought her a ring?" Daniel asked.

"Sort of. My mother gave me her engagement ring years ago."

"And explain to me again why you aren't just living off the vast sum of money derived from your parents?" Daniel asked him as they walked to the helm.

"All their accounts were frozen. I just have what is in mine."

_That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed  
When the gales of November came early_

The Fitzgerald was a beautiful ship, full five hundred feet long. She made the trip to Ireland easily enough then loaded iron. Draco was sweating easily inside of seven minutes and was very glad when they were done. They set out from Dublin by seven that evening, set to return home by ten the next day.

_The ship was the pride of the British side  
Coming back from some mill in Ireland  
As the big freighters go it was bigger than most  
With a crew and the Captain well seasoned._

"Draco!"

Coming out of the galley, Draco stopped and looked back to see Mark Hallows and Toby Williams. The two midshipmen swaggered up to him. "We were gonna play some pool, wanna come? You can play the winner!"

Draco grinned and started to agree when Colton Bardly rounded the corner. "Draco! Captain wants you in the nest."

Draco nodded. He gave an apologetic look to Mark and Toby then followed Colton to the Captain's nest.

_Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms  
When they left fully loaded for England_

"Draco." Daniel said as he entered.

"Where's the fire?" Draco knew Daniel well enough to know that the captain wouldn't bring him up here if it weren't important.

"That."

Draco walked over to look at the read out from the National weather Service.

_And later that night when the ships bell rang  
Could it be the North Wind they'd been feeling._

Draco studied it. "Not good."

"No. It's not. We're headed straight into the center."

"I'm ready for the good news anytime."

"It's still only a tropical storm."

"Jesus Christ, Daniel! what the hell does it take for them to call it what it is? It's a fucking Huricane! You know it as well as I do!"

Daniel held up a hand defensively. "I know. I know!"

Draco ran a hand through his hair. "What's the chance of us getting through this?"

"If we had left four hours earlier with half the cargo we're carrying, we could have made Penzance easily and hung out in those coves until it passed."

"As it is?"

Daniel didn't have to answer. At that moment the wires vibrated outside on the deck and a large wave crashed over the stern side.

_The wind in the wires made a tattletale sound  
And a wave broke over the railing_

Draco looked at his friend as the crew showed up on deck.

"Daniel. Can you promise me... anything?"

Daniel shook his head. "I can't. "

Draco looked back at the crew. It would be a long night.

_And every man knew, as the Captain did, too,  
T'was the witch of November come stealing._

Draco awoke groggily the next morning. The night hadn't been as bad as he thougth it would have been, but he still woke up every half hour to the churning waves. He dressed quickly and stole into the gallery for a cup of coffee.

"Lucas, no food ready yet?" He asked the cook.

Lucas Perice shook his head. "Nothin' in this damned kitchen stands still long enough." He growled in a Scottish brogue.

_The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait  
When the gales of November came slashing_

Draco sprinted easily up to main deck. The wind whipped across the deck and Draco had to stuggle to get to the nest.

_When afternoon came it was freezing rain  
In the face of a hurricane West Wind_

"Please tell me the worst is over." Draco asked.

Daniel shook his head. "It's only yet to come."

_When supper time came the old cook came on deck  
Saying fellows it's too rough to feed ya_

Draco put his back into the effort, pulling hard on the slick ropes. "Heave men!" He snarled above the snapping winds.

_At 7PM a main hatchway caved in  
He said fellas it's been good to know ya._

Suddenly the ship shuddered. Draco flicked his hair from his eyes as the men pulled hard.

"Colton! Take my spot."

The younger man nodded and put his back into the effort.

Draco sprinted through the gale towards the nest.

_The Captain wired in he had water coming in  
And the good ship and crew was in peril_

Draco burst into the room in time to hear...

"Mayday, Mayday. This is the Edmund Fitzgerald. Our hatch has broken. We need help. Our postition is..." He rattled off a series of numbers before repeating the Mayday.

He turned to face Draco. "We're not making it out."

Draco felt despair settle over him.

"Draco. Do me a favor."

Draco glanced at him. "Yeah?"

Daniel nodded at a compass on the deck. "Take that."

Draco started for it. "Any reason?"

Daniel didn't answer. Draco picked up the compass... and the world spun crazily.

Daniel, his back still to the place Draco had recently inhabited, smiled. "Sorry mate. But I promised Ginny."

_And later that night when his lights went out of sight  
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald._


	3. Sad

Ginny listened to the wind howling in the trees. What a god awful night. She thought.

She turned with a smile as her father entered the living room. Her smile faltered and faded when he didn't smile back.

"Daddy... what-"

"Ginny. There's been an accident."

_Does anyone know where the love of God goes  
When the words turn the minutes to hours_

Ginny felt her breath leave her. "What? What happened?"

Her father looked down and her hands went to her face. "The... The Fitzgerald?"

He nodded. "They sent out a mayday..."

Ginny heard nothing more. She collapsed on the floor, screaming her pain as her mother and father tried to comfort her.

_The searchers all say they'd have made Penzance_

_If they'd fifteen more miles behind her._

Ginny watched the television listlessly. She knew. She knew what they would say.

A young reporter was standing on a rocky beach, talking to the camera. "It is still Uncertain what happened to the ship but it is believed all the bodies have been recovered..."

The voice droned on in Ginny's head, telling her words she knew in her heart to be true.

_They might have split up or they might have capsized  
They may have broke deep and took water  
And all that remains is the faces and the names  
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters._

Ginny stepped into the cathedral. She was dressed for the tempermental November weather but anyone could see she didn't care.

_The Pacific rolls, Atlantic sings  
In the ruins of her ice water mansion  
The Canal steams like a young man's dreams,  
The islands and bays are for sportsmen._

And farther below The Artic

_Takes in what Hope can send her  
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know  
With the gales of November remembered._

She knelt at the front, flanked behind her by the other family members of the Fitzgerald crew. She was never religious but she crossed herself and began to pray.

_In a musty old hall in Portsmouth they prayed  
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral_

Ginny felt the tears sting her eyes as the bell began to rang. She forced herself to count the chimes as she thought of all the men.

One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Six... Seven...

The Midshipmen. Toby, Mark, Steven, Elliot, Nathan, Troy and Kevin. Ginny felt her heart break. She knew those men. How many times had they played pool while she and Draco talked about life?

Eight... Nine... Ten... Eleven... Twelve... Thirteen... Fourteen... Fifteen... Sixteen...

The Engineers. a rowdy bunch whom she had only met once or twice.

Seventeen... Eighteen... Nineteen...

The pilots. Robby, Ruth and Richard. Triplets and twice as bad as her brothers.

Twenty...

Noah, the Boatswain.

Twenty one...

Elice, the cook's helper.

Twenty two...

Lucas, the cook

Twenty Three... Twenty Four...

Niles and Giles. The helmsmen

Twenty Five...

Colton, the cabin boy.

Twenty six...

Sven, the owner.

Twenty seven...

Michale, who no body really knew what he did.

Twenty eight...

Daniel... The captain.

Ginny held her breath, waiting for that final peal.

_The church bell chimed, 'til it rang 28 times  
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald._

But it never came. Ginny stood up and looked around. Everyone else was still kneeling but she stepped around them then sprinted out the door. She found her father, standing outside the cathedral.

"Daddy... what? The bell only rang..."

He looked at her. "One of the bodies was not recovered."

Ginny stared at him for a minute. "Who?"

"We're not sure."

"What do you mean, you're not sure?"

"It could have been either Draco or Daniel."

Ginny stared at him. "Draco's alive?"

"Ginny, we don't-"

"Daddy please!" She begged. "Let me have this one dilusion. I'm not ready to let him go yet!"

Arthur looked at his daughter. "Alright. Go make your peace."

Ginny kissed him and darted off. A young official came up behind him. "Sir?"

"Yes?"

"We've IDed the body."


	4. Happy

A young official came up behind Arthur. "Sir?"

"Yes?"

"We've IDed the body."

"Who is it?"

The man told him. Arthur nodded. "I'd suggest you go help my daughter before she runs off the edge of the world and I have to kill you."

The young man paled and ran off after Ginny.

Arthur smiled. Ginny would be fine.

... Sometime Later...

"Anthony! You're getting it wrong! For the love of God, just let me steer!"

"So we can end up in the Bermuda Triangle again? No thank you!"

"I know what I'm doing! And it was not the Bermuda Triangle."

"Then how come you thought you saw Elvis?"

Screeeeeeccccchhhhhh

Ginny winced as the aluminum hull scrapped on the low rocks. "Anthony!"

"Look your dad's paying me to keep you alive, not the boat."

Ginny snarled unintellegently at him and hopped into the water. The cold Atlantic Ocean soaked her to her knees.

"Good Gravy, Ginny! You're going to catch pnumonia!"

"Then get down here and stop me!" She called back.

"Oh I think I can." said a voice as strong arms swept her off her feet. She looked up and found herself staring into very familiar blue grey eyes as Draco Malfoy smiled down at her.

_The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down  
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee  
Superior, they say, never gives up her dead  
When the gales of November come early._

(A/N: Yes I know I repeated part of chapter 3. sue me.


End file.
